Restaurant counter and table having folding seats



3,076,677 RESTAURANT COUNTER AND TABLE HAVING FOLDING SEATS K. J. KELSOFeb. 5, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed D60. 30, 1960 FIG. .1

INVENTOR. K424 d 4so,

47'7'OE/VEYS.

Feb. 5, 1963 Filed Dec.

K. J. KELSO 3,076,677

RESTAURANT COUNTER AND TABLE HAVING FOLDING SEATS.

so, 1960 s Sheets-Sheet 2 22 FIG. 3.

INVENTOR. 4 5450 ATTOEA/EY-S'.

K. J- KELSO Feb. 5, 1963 RESTAURANT COUNTER AND TABLE HAVING FOLDINGSEATS Filed D60. 30, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. 5,4194 1 KEL SO,

i fates This invention relates to improvements in restaurant countersand tables having counter and table supported folding seats, and moreparticularly to novel and improved restaurant counter and tableassemblies wherein the folding seats are adapted to be folded toout-of-theway positions beneath the counter or table.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of safer, moreeflicient, and more convenient assemblies of the kind indicated, whereinthe folding seats have backs which fold down upon the seat pads, and theseats are mounted on bracket arms which are hinged to elements of thecounter or table, located beneath their tops, the seats being swingablefrom extended use positions, to storage positions beneath said elements.

Another object of the invention is the provision, in assemblies of thecharacter indicated above, of seats wherein the seat pads are rotatablerelative to the bracket arms from counter or table confronting positionsto customer exit positions, and are yieldably spring-pressed towardthese confronting positions, whereby customer seating at and departurefrom the counter or table are facilitated and rendered less conducive toaccidental injury.

A further object of the invention is the provision of assemblies of thecharacter indicated above, wherein the seat supporting bracket arms areyieldably spring-pressed toward their storage positions, so as to beeasily pulled out of storage position for use when wanted and to be outof the way when not in use.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a. counterassembly of the character indicated above, wherein the counter involvesmultiple shelves, on its rear side, and, on its front side, a projectingtop, a single shelf beneath the projection of the top, and an elevatedfoot rest spaced below the shelf, the top projection, the single shelf,and the foot rest projecting from a vertical wall, the meeting of thewall with the foot rest and the meeting of the foot rest with the floorsupporting the counter having horizontal longitudinal concavities whicheliminate sharp corners and provide for easy and thorough rnopcleaningof the corners.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of assemblies ofthe character indicated above, which are modern and simple in form, aredesigned for all-metal construction, and are provided with rounded edgesand novel arrangements of components, which substantially reduce oreliminate the injury producing characteristics of existing restaurantcounter and table assemblies.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention willbe apparent from the following description and the accompanyingdrawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form ofthe invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of a counter assembly of thepresent invention showing a seat folded to storage position and a seatin use position;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of FIGURE 1, showing seats inuse position in full lines, and stored seats in phantom lines;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 3--3 ofFIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line 44 ofFIGURE 3;

3,076,677 Patented Feb. 5, 1953 ice FIGURE 5 is an enlarged verticaltransverse section taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 3;

FEGURE 6 is a further enlarged fragmentary horizontal section taken onthe line 66 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 7 is a top plan view of a restaurant table assembly of thepresent invention; and

FIGURE 8 is a side elevation of FIGURE 7, showing a seat bracket armhinge pin removed.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like and related numeralsdesignate like and related parts through out the several views, andfirst to FIGURES 1 through 6, the restaurant counter assembly thereinshown, and generally designated 10, comprises a counter 12 which has, atits ends, pairs of laterally spaced front and rear up rights 14 and 16,respectively, between which extend vertically spaced rear shelves 18,19, 2t), and 21. A counter top 22, spaced above the top rear shelf 18,extends between the pairs of uprights 14 and 16 and has a forwardextension or projection 24, reaching forwardly beyond the front uprights14, and having a safety-rounded forward edge 26. The upper surface ofthe top 22 and its forward edge 26 are covered with a sheet 28 ofsuitable plastic material.

On a level with the top rear shelf 18, a single combined shelf and shelfsupport 30, narrower than the counter top projection 24, is fixed, atits ends to and extends between and forwardly from the front uprights14, and has a squared forward edge 32 having rounded corners. A footrest, generally designated 34, is spaced below the single shelf 30, andcomprises a top horizontal member 36, and a depending vertical frontmember 38, which reaches to the floor F. A front counter panel, fixed tothe front uprights 1-4, has an upper portion 40 extending between thecounter top 22 and the single shelf 30, an intermediate portion 42 whichextends between the single shelf 3d and the top member 36 of the footrest, a horizontal portion 44 which extends across the top member 36,and a lower vertical portion 46 which extends down along the frontmember 38 of the foot rest 34. A rounded bead 48 extends along themeeting of the panel portions 44 and 46. At the meeting of the panelportions 42 and 44, the portion d2 is concavely indented, as indicatedat St to eliminate a corner inaccessible to a mop, and a similarconcavity 52 is provided on the lower panel portion 46, at its meetingwith the floor F. A like concavity 54 can be provided in the lower rearshelf 21. It is to be noted that the counter top projection 24 extendsout beyond the single shelf 30 and the foot rest 34.

As shown in FIGURE 6, the single shelf 30- is a hollow metal form havingspaced top and bottom walls 56 and 53, respectively, joined by a forwardedge wall as. At desired spaced intervals along the shelf 39, there arefixed between the top and bottom walls hinge brackets 62 which havespaced side walls which are compressed toward each other, and theparallel legs 64-, of a U-shaped hinge mount 66 are engaged in theresultant depressions, and are secured in place, as by means of rivets68 extending through the legs and the bracket side walls. The hingemount 66 has a bight portion 70 which is engaged with an outer end wall72 connecting the bracket side walls 74. The bight portion 70 of thehinge mount 66 has a pair of vertically spaced laterally oifset.forwardly projecting vertical hinge cars 78, through which extends ahinge pin 80, having an enlarged head 82 on its upper end, and which canbe devoid of a head on its lower end, to facilitate removal of the hingepin.

The hin e pin St!- and the hinge ears 73 swingably support a foldableseat assembly, generally designated 84, which comprises an arm 86 whichhas a horizontal outer end portion 88, and rearwardly and upwardlycurved rear end portion 9! as shown in FIGURE 3. As shown in 3 FIGURES 2and 3, the arm 86 is horizontally and longitudinally curved, so that, inthe customer use position of the seat assembly 84, the arm 86 ispositioned to one side ofthe hinge mount 62.and-the hinge mount 66;

The rear end portion 99 of the arm 86 terminates, at its ,rear end, in avertical rear edge .92 from the midheight point of which ahinge ear 94extends, which is journalled on the hinge pin 80, between the ears 73.As shown in FIGURE 6, the ear 94 is laterally offset to one side oftherear edge 92, so that theremaining part $6 of the rear edge 92 servesas a stop which is engageable with the bight portion 7t) of the hingemount 65, at one side of theears '78, in the extended position of thearm 86. A helical, coil spring 98, located at the concave side of thearm 86, is connected to and stretched between a lug 130 on the undersideof the shelf 30 and a lug 162 on the underside of the arm 86, wherebythe arm 86 is biased toward storage position as shown in FIGURE 4.

The outer end of the outer end portion 88 of the arm 86 is fixedtangentially, as indicated at 184, to the side wall 166 of an invertedpan shaped base 168, which has a top wall 110. The top wall 116, asshown inFIGURES 4 .and'5, is formed with two diametrically opposedconcentric closed arcuate slots 112, througlrwhich extend pendant guidepins 114 which arefixed to and extend downwardly from a circular flatseat disc 11.6 which has imposed thereon and suitably secured thereto acircular, covered seat pad 118. The disc 116 is pivoted on the top wall110 by means of a central pivot 115 secured to and extending throughthedisc 116 and through a central opening 117 in the top wall 116, andhaving an enlarged retaining head 119, on its lower end, which bearsagainst the underside of the top wall 110.. The guidepins 114' extendthroughholes 120 on the disc 116 and have enlarged heads 122, on theirupper ends, which are seated in depressions 124in the upper surface ofthe disc .116. The pins 114 extend below the top .wall lid and haveretaining collars ll'thereon. The. disc 116 bears rotatably upon the topwall 110, and coilspringst128 are stretched between and secured to theguide pins 114 and points on the side wall 106 of the memberitifi,remote from adjacent ends of the slots 112, whereby the disc 116, andhence the. seat pad 118, are rotatably and yieldably biased to acustomer use position.

Fixed to the edge of the disc 116,. ,is. an upwardly extending andoutwardly inclined seat back bracket 130;

which is horizontally hinged, at its upper end, as indicated at 132, tothe lower end of, a vertical bar .134, -to one side of which is fixed arectangular paddedseatback 136, which, as indicated .in FIGURES 2 and 3,is arranged to fold down upon the ,seat pad 118,.in registry therewith.The hinge 132 is a stop hinge, having means.-(not shown) for stoppingthe seat back 13am an upright position. The seat back bracket 13dispositioned on the. disc 13.6 at a location such that in the customeruse position of -.the, seat assembly, the seat back 136 parallels thecounter 12, as shown in FIGURES 1 through 4. The seat is adapted to berotated to, one side of its .use position, against the resistance of thesprings .128, by a customer, so as to place the seatand itsbacksubstantially at right angles to the counter 12, so as to facilitateseating of the customer on the seat. The springs 128 then serve toaidthe customer in rotating the seat to face the counter.

As shown in FIGURE 3, the outer end portion 83 of the seat assembly arm86 is. depressed below-the single shelf 36 to a degree that the seatback 136, when in downfolded position on the seat pad 118, clearsbeneath the shelf 36 and the retracting spring 93, when thevseat assetbly is moved, by the spring 98, to storage position. In the storageposition of the seat assembly, the registered seat pad 118 and seat back136 are beneath the shelf 3%, and substantially completely beneath thecounter top projection 24, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 4, so as to be outof the way of customers, or service personnel working at the frontof-the counter 12. When a seat assembly E 84 is to be used, it is put inuse position simply by swinging the same outwardly, against theresistance of the spring 93, and moving the seat back 136 to its erectposition.

The restaurant table assembly, shown in FIGURES 7 and 8, and generallydesignated 16, comprises a pedestal table 12 having a pedestal 140rising from an enlarged diameter base 142, which is suitably fixed tothe fioor F. Secured centrally upon the upper end of the pedestal 140 isa table top 22 here shown as being rectangular and having roundedcorners 23. In line with the corners 23 and fixed to the pedestal 140,are radial horizontal arms 144, which are spaced below the table top 22,and support a single open rectangular shelf 343 which is smaller in areathan and registered with the table top 22. Seat assemblies 34 similar tothe seat assemblies 84 of FIG- URES 1 through 6, are similarly mountedon the shelf 3G adjacent to corners 146 of the shelf 36 on hingebrackets 62 depending from the shelf 30 In this arrangement, the seatassembly arms 86 fold from the extended use positions of the seatassemblies, shown in full lines in FIGURES 7 and 3, to storage positionswherein the arms extend along related sides of the shelf 3% and the.combinedand registered seat pads M8 and seat backs are positioned whollybeneath the table top 22 Although there have been shown and describedherein preferred forms of the invention, it is to be understood that theinvention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change orchanges in the structure of and in the relative arrangements ofcomponents thereof are contemplated as being within thescope of theinvention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

I. In restaurant furniture, a support having a horizontal top, ahorizontal shelf spaced below said top and inset from the top, and aseat assembly hinged on a vertical axis on the outer edge of the shelfand adapted to be hinged beneath the shelf, said seat assemblycomprising an arm having an inner end hinged to the shelf and an outerend which. is depressed below the shelf, a seat pad secured upon theouter end of the arm, the seat pad being positioned beneath the shelf,in the storage position ofthe seat assembly, the seat pad comprising abase fixed on the arm, said base having a top'wall provided with acentral opening and concentric diametrically opposed closed arcuateslots, a disc bearing rotatably upon said top wall and having pendantguide pins engaged in said slots, a pivotsecured to the disc andextending downwardly through said central opening and having a retainingbead bearing against the underside of said top wall, and spring meansacting between the guide pins and said base and rotatably biasing saiddisc in one direction.

2. In restaurant furniture, a support having a horizontal top, ahorizontal shelf spaced below said top and inset from the top, and aseat assembly hinged on a vertical axis on the outer edge of the shelfand adapted to be hinged beneath the shelf, said seat assemblycomprising an arm having an inner end hinged to the shelf and an outerend which is depressed below the shelf, a seat pad secured upon theouter end of the arm, the seat pad being positioned beneath the shelf inthe storage position of the seat assembly, the seat pad comprising abase fixed on'the arm, said base having a top wall provided with acentral opening and concentric diametrically opposed closed arcuateslots, a disc bearing rotatably upon said top wall and having pendantguide pins engaged in said slots, a pivot secured to the disc andextending downwardly through said central opening and having a retainingbead bearing against the underside of said top wall, and spring meansacting between the guide pins and said base and rotatably biasing saiddisc in one direction, an upstanding bracket on said disc having anupper end, a vertical bar hinged at its lowerend to the upper end of thebracket, means for stopping said bar in erect position, and a seat backbeing fixed to a side of said vertical bar.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of thispatent 7 UNITED STATES PATENTS Davison Jan; 14, 1896 Little May 9, 1916Marston Aug. 15, 1916 Nolan Jan. 2, 19'17 Jenkins Dec. 24, 1918 RankinJuly 20, 1920 Dana July 15, 1924 m Caliver June 5, 1926 FOREIGN PATENTSGreat Britain Aug. 9, 1950

1. IN A RESTAURANT FURNITURE, A SUPPORT HAVING A HORIZONTAL TOP, AHORIZONTAL SHELF SPACED BELOW SAID TOP AND INSET FROM THE TOP, AND ASEAT ASSEMBLY HINGED ON A VERTICAL AXIS ON THE OUTER EDGE OF THE SHELFAND ADAPTED TO BE HINGED BENEATH THE SHELF, SAID SEAT ASSEMBLYCOMPRISING AN ARM HAVING AN INNER END HINGED TO THE SHELF AND AN OUTEREND WHICH IS DEPRESSED BELOW THE SHELF, A SEAT PAD SECURED UPON THEOUTER END OF THE ARM, THE SEAT PAD BEING POSITIONED BENEATH THE SHELF,IN THE STORAGE POSITION OF THE SEAT ASSEMBLY, THE SEAT PAD COMPRISING ABASE FIXED ON THE ARM, SAID BASE HAVING A TOP WALL PROVIDED WITH ACENTRAL OPENING AND CONCENTRIC DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED CLOSED ARCUATESLOTS, A DISC BEARING ROTATABLY UPON